Is Bushwick Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Bushwick scores 6.2 composite—a solid financial play with transit access, but uneven livability and a weaker cultural core than its reputation suggests.
Bushwick at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 6.2/10
- Borough rank
- #13 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 8,439
- Median listing
- $1.0M
- Subway stations
- 7 (Halsey St, Kosciuszko St, Central Av)
- Active listings
- 59
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is Bushwick Safe?
Bushwick, Brooklyn scores 6.2/10 for overall livability, ranking #13 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Bushwick scores 6.2 composite—a solid financial play with transit access, but uneven livability and a weaker cultural core than its reputation suggests.
This score aggregates live NYPD crime data, 311 safety complaints, shooting incidents, and building health signals within walking distance. Safety varies by block — check a specific Bushwick address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Bushwick is a neighborhood in transition where industrial bones show through newer residential polish. You'll walk past 168 trees on average within 200 meters, though canopy cover remains modest at 4.8/10—enough shade on some blocks, sparse on others. The J, L, M, and Z trains branch through here via Halsey, Myrtle-Wyckoff, and Gates avenues, fragmenting the neighborhood into transit pockets rather than creating a unified corridor. McCarren Park sits about 4 kilometers away, requiring intentional travel rather than casual access. Street-level, you'll encounter a building stock split between 56% condos and 39% two-family homes, many under renovation, creating an uneven sense of completion—some blocks feel built-out, others still under negotiation.
Analysis based on 59 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
168 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 4.8/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
McCarren Park
Avg 4113m away | Score: 0/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
5/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Chronic noise above 55 dB at night associated with 8% cardiovascular mortality increase (Basner et al., 2014)
Street Character
9.4/10
Enclosure: 9.4/10
What is the ART Score?
ART stands for Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) — the framework environmental psychologists use to measure whether a place helps your brain recover from mental fatigue, or pushes it deeper into overload. Cities deplete directed attention (the effortful focus you use at work); exposure to restorative environments replenishes it.
We compute an ART score for every block by combining four signals: access to restorative zones (parks, museums, libraries), sensory load (nightlife and tourist density), street vitality (Jane Jacobs’ “eyes on the street”), and third places (Oldenburg’s informal community spaces).
In line with the Brooklyn median — typical city stimulus with typical restorative access.
What drives the score
- +Restorative zones. Museums, libraries, community gardens, and parks within walking distance. “Soft fascination” stimuli (clouds, tree branches, water) let directed attention recover without effort — the Kaplans’ core mechanism.
- −Sensory load. Bar and nightclub density (5+ within 150m), firehouse siren corridors, tourist chokepoints, and very high foot traffic push the score down by up to 8 points.
- +Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets, and community festivals over the past 12 months — a proxy for “eyes on the street” and the informal surveillance that makes blocks feel safe and maintained.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Cafés, public plazas (POPS), community centers — the “anchors of community life” that buffer against social isolation. Loneliness has been linked to 29% higher incident coronary heart disease risk (Valtorta et al., 2016).
Health mechanism. Directed-attention fatigue (DAF) is linked to impaired decision-making, irritability, and elevated cortisol. A meta-analysis of 60+ studies (Ohly et al., 2016) found restorative environment exposure significantly improves attention-task performance (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.32) and reduces negative affect.
Theoretical foundations. Kaplan & Kaplan (1989), The Experience of Nature; Jacobs (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities; Oldenburg (1989), The Great Good Place.
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
6.3/10
Borough median: 8/10
Walk Score Proxy
9.4/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.0M
Price per Sq Ft
$786
Price Distribution
Price by Building Type
Investment Indicators
Avg Unused FAR
0 sqft
Development rights potential
Unused development rights valued at $30-$80/sqft in Brooklyn (Glaeser, 2011)
Avg Days on Market
132
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
39%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
168
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
4.8/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- McCarren Park
Avg distance: 4113m
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Building Types
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who Bushwick Is For
Financially-oriented buyers
Financial score of 8.4 (well above borough median of 5.7) reflects strong pricing fundamentals. Median price of $1.05M at $786/sqft suggests relative value compared to surrounding areas.
Practical, car-independent renters/buyers
Seven subway lines provide coverage despite longer walks to some stations. Practical score of 6.8 indicates adequate neighborhood infrastructure, though commute score of 6.3 lags the borough median of 8.
Long-term investors with patience
Investment score of 6 with 132 average days on market suggests moderate absorption. No unused FAR means limited vertical development upside, but financial strength indicates stable fundamentals.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Strong financial fundamentals relative to Brooklyn
Financial score of 8.4 versus borough median of 5.7; $786/sqft price point
Robust transit access across multiple lines
7 subway stations (J, L, M, Z lines) distributed through neighborhood prevents transit deserts
Outdoor amenities exceed borough standards
168 average trees within 200m and outdoor score of 6.1 outperform borough median of 4.6
Trade-offs
Weak arts and cultural offerings relative to reputation
ART/Livability score of 4.2 falls below borough median of 5, undermining the 'artistic neighborhood' narrative
Commute performance lags borough average
Commute score of 6.3 versus borough median of 8; longer walks to scattered transit nodes
Slow property turnover
132 average days on market indicates softer demand or pricing friction compared to hotter neighborhoods
Score Any Address in Bushwick
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in BushwickFrequently Asked Questions about Bushwick
1Is Bushwick safe?
By NYPD data, Bushwick is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 34% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 8,439 crime incidents and 12 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Bushwick?
Rents in Bushwick, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.0M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Bushwick?
Bushwick has a commute score of 6.3/10. 7 subway stations serve the area: Halsey St, Kosciuszko St, Central Av.
4What are the best streets in Bushwick?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Bushwick known for?
Bushwick sits in Brooklyn and ranks #13 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.2/10). It's served by 7 subway stations (Halsey St, Kosciuszko St, Central Av), with a median listing price of $1.0M. Bushwick scores 6.2 composite—a solid financial play with transit access, but uneven livability and a weaker cultural core than its reputation suggests.
6What is it like to live in Bushwick?
Living in Bushwick, Brooklyn weights against six livability dimensions: practical (HPD-violation density), commute (subway proximity), arts/culture (venue density), outdoor (parks + trees), financial (price level), investment (price trend). Bushwick's composite is 6.2/10. Bushwick scores 6.2 composite—a solid financial play with transit access, but uneven livability and a weaker cultural core than its reputation suggests. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Bushwick address through DwellCheck.
7Is Bushwick expensive?
Median listing price in Bushwick, Brooklyn is $1.0M based on 59 active listings as of 2026-04-04. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Bushwick can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Bushwick at night?
Bushwick is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 12 shooting incidents and 8,439 total crime incidents. Walking at night carries the same risk profile as anywhere in NYC: stay on commercial corridors with foot traffic, avoid empty side streets after midnight, and prefer subway lines that run 24/7.
9Is Bushwick dangerous?
By NYPD data, Bushwick is rated "Higher Than Average" — safer than 34% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 8,439 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Bushwick should I avoid?
NYPD CompStat reports incidents at the precinct level, not block-by-block, so a granular "avoid this street" answer isn't possible from public data alone. The most reliable signal at the block level is DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which weights NYPD incidents within a 250m radius of a specific building. As a general rule across NYC: industrial blocks with no foot traffic are higher-risk than residential blocks; subway-station-adjacent commercial corridors are lowest-risk.
11Is Bushwick a good place to live?
Bushwick scores 6.2/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 34th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Bushwick scores 6.2 composite—a solid financial play with transit access, but uneven livability and a weaker cultural core than its reputation suggests. Whether it's a good fit depends on what you weight: families, solo renters, and remote workers each prioritize different factors (noise, transit access, parks, building quality).
12What is the average DwellScore in Bushwick?
6.2 (interquartile range 5.3–6.8). Financial strength (8.4) drives the median up; weaker arts/livability (4.2) and commute (6.3) pull it down, resulting in a neighborhood that excels at fundamentals but trails on lifestyle amenities.
13Why is the commute score relatively low?
At 6.3, Bushwick's commute score lags the borough median of 8, likely due to fragmented transit coverage (stations on J, L, M, Z lines serve different micro-neighborhoods) and longer walks for residents on western blocks. No single trunk line dominates.
14Is Bushwick as affordable as it's marketed?
No—median price of $1.049M at $786/sqft reflects gentrification completion, not affordability. The financial score of 8.4 measures value relative to Brooklyn, not absolute cost. 'Affordable rents' in the existing description don't match current listing data.
15What drives the low ART/Livability score despite Bushwick's artistic reputation?
The score of 4.2 (below borough median of 5) suggests neighborhood data (cultural venues, galleries, event density) doesn't support the 'warehouse venues and creative community' narrative. The institutional art presence may be concentrated or declining relative to other Brooklyn neighborhoods.
Related Guides
NYC Building Complaints Lookup
Check any building's HPD, DOB, and 311 complaint history before signing.
30 NYC Apartment Red Flags
What to watch for at the viewing, in the listing, and on the landlord.
How to Check Your NYC Landlord
A 5-step free lookup: ACRIS ownership, HPD violations, DOB complaints, lawsuits.
Is My Apartment Rent-Stabilized?
Request a free DHCR rent history and verify stabilization status in 24-72 hours.